Labor Laws and Web Workers

We know that not all web workers are freewheeling entrepreneurs running growing businesses from the local coffee shop. Many of us are, in fact, real employees of substantial companies that have a mix of virtual and actual workers in various locations, including the local coffee shop. And while we’re big advocates of widespread promulgation of remote work programs for all and sundry, there are some potential drawbacks to letting the freedom flow too freely.

One is the risk of getting in trouble with FLSA with regard to exempt or non-exempt staff. There are much better places to get advice on how staff positions are cast into these two categories, but once you’ve made decisions on your positions, you’ll want to be careful that your remote work policies don’t get you into trouble with this stuff (follow the link for some older, but still very good information on this very subject).

The good news is, like so many HR policies, a straightforward remote work policy that is written down, reviewed by your HR advisor/legal, and then uniformly applied to your staff shouldn’t get you in too much trouble.

So don’t be afraid to roll one out!

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